CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College baseball split Saturday’s doubleheader with La Salle, falling in game one, 5-4, before taking game two, 13-4, to take a 2-1 series lead. PC goes to 2-1 on the year, while La Salle is now 1-2 on the season.

How it Happened (Game 1)

La Salle got out to a 5-0 lead with a run in the second, three in the third and another in the sixth. The first two reached in the second with a double by Kevin McGowan and a single by Chase Arnold. A 4-3 double play brought in McGowan and gave the Explorers the 1-0 lead. In the third, with the bases loaded and no outs, Ryan Guckin doubled to right center to score two runs. Three batters later, Austin Constantini scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-0. In the sixth, a led off double by Arnold put a man in scoring position and two batters later, Connor Hinchliffe singled to center to score him and make it a 5-0 lead.

PC started to mount a comeback though with a run in the sixth, two more in the seventh and another in the eighth. Nick Wise doubled to start the sixth, moved to third on a groundout and then scored on an RBI groundout by AJ Priaulx to get PC on the board. In the seventh, Tannor Byrd reached on an error to start the inning and three batters later, Guimbarda hit the first PC home run of the year with a two-run drive to right to make it a 5-3 game. With two outs in the eighth, Priaulx reached on an error and two batters later Byrd drove him in with a single to center to pull PC within a run at 5-4.

Grayson Stoneking took care of business in the top half of the ninth. La Salle got the leadoff man aboard with a hit-by-pitch but Stoneking retired the next three in order to give PC a chance. The Blue Hose were unable to mount a rally in bottom of the ninth though to fall in game one, 5-4.

How it Happened (Game 2)

La Salle opened the game with a run in the top half of the first. Back-to-back one-out singles from Peyton Sorrels and Ben Faso put two on and McGowan followed with an RBI double to right center to give the Explorers a 1-0 lead. A strikeout and a flyout would end the inning with no more damage done.

PC then broke the game wide open with a seven-run bottom of the first. Guimbarda led off with a single to left center and, after a flyout, Wise singled to right to put two aboard. McLaughlin and Priaulx came through with back-to-back RBI singles, before Colton Chapman drew a walk to load the bases. Byrd then drew a bases loaded walk to bring the third run of the inning, as Michael Varga followed with an RBI groundout. Andrew Bladt was hit by a pitch to load the bases again and then Guimbarda recorded his second hit of the inning with a two-RBI single to make it 6-1. Bladt would then score on a throwing error by the catcher to make it 7-1.

Hinchliffe led off the La Salle half of the second with a solo home run to left field to pull the score back to 7-2.

PC added two runs in both the third and sixth inning to extend the lead. A two-run home run in the third by Guimbarda, his second of the day, made it a 9-2 game. Then a two-RBI double by Hunter Grover in the sixth that scored Chapman and Varga made it an 11-2 lead.

Both teams put across a single run in the seventh and eighth innings. An RBI single by Arnold brought one in the top half of the seventh, before a wild pitch allowed McLaughlin to score in the home half of the inning. Sorrels scored on a fielder’s choice in top half of the eight with Rob Greco scoring on an error in the bottom half en route to the 13-4 PC victory.

Pitchers of Record (Game 1)

Mike Anthony (1-0) earned the win out of the bullpen, going 3.0 innings and allowing three runs (one earned) on two hits with three strikeouts against no walks.

Connor Jahn (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing four runs on six hits in 5.0 innings of work with a career-high eight strikeouts against two walks.

Austin Constantini recorded his first save of the season, working a 1-2-3 ninth inning and recording a strikeout.

Pitchers of Record (Game 2)

Colton Springs (1-0) earned the win in just his second career start, going 5.0 innings and allowing two runs on seven hits with a career-high seven strikeouts against two walks.

Jackson Ray (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing seven runs (six earned) on five hits and two walks in 0.2 innings of work.

Andrew Durden earned the save in his collegiate debut, tossing the final 4.0 innings and allowing just two runs on six hits with three strikeouts against no walks.

PC Player of the Day

Nick Guimbarda was 4-for-7 on the day with two homers, three runs and six RBIs. The lefty went 3-for-3 with a walk, a home run, two runs and four RBIs in game two of the doubleheader. The junior singled twice in PC’s seven-run first inning, before hitting a two-run home run in the third inning in the victory. He also hit the first PC home run of the season with a two-run home run in the seventh inning of game one.